


Make It Right

by angellwings



Category: Chicago Fire
Genre: Cigar Chat, F/M, Friendship, Honesty, I guess it depends on what you consider a spoiler?, Maybe spoilers?, One Shot, Self-Reflection, Short One Shot, friends don't let friends be dummies, possible spoilers?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-18 15:47:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28620543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angellwings/pseuds/angellwings
Summary: It's been a while since Casey and Severide have had a cigar chat and they've had a big week. Now's as good a time as any. [Possible spoilers, depending on what you consider a spoiler. Explanation in my author's note.]
Relationships: Matthew Casey & Kelly Severide, Stella Kidd/Kelly Severide, Sylvie Brett/Matthew Casey
Comments: 39
Kudos: 114





	Make It Right

**Author's Note:**

> **A/N:** So, we did NOT get One Chicago this week. But that’s okay! We’ll get it next week! In the meantime, I guess I’ll try and write.
> 
> Before you start reading, let me clarify my tags. I say I’m not sure if this is spoilers because this is based on Derek’s interviews, BUT I know there is a spoilery clip of a cigar chat floating out there. (I accidentally saw a few seconds of it before I realized it was a spoiler, thanks twitter). This however IS NOT based on that. I used interviews where Derek implied upcoming plot points in his answers. There is NO exact dialogue from the episode in this super short one shot. I said MAYBE spoilers just in case some consider Derek’s interviews spoilers. Didn’t want to take any chances.
> 
> Anyway…
> 
> Happy reading!
> 
> xoxo

_******_

_“Maybe I, could have loved you,_

_Maybe I, could have shown,_

_That I still do care about you,_

_More than you could know._

_Don't say it's too late to try,_

_To make it right.”_

_-“Make It Right”, Jonas Brothers_

_******_

“Brett, huh?” Severide asks. He sounds surprised but he looks expectant, like he’s pretending to be unaware for Casey’s sake.

He shrugs and shakes his head as he sits down next to Kelly. “For like half a second. It was a flashover — apparently,” he grumbles.

“Doesn’t sound as if you really agree with that assessment,” Severide says, lifting a brow in his direction.

“It doesn’t matter if I agree or not. There’s no way to move forward so it’s over,” he says succinctly.

“I don’t buy that,” Severide tells him, extending out an open leather three finger cigar case.

Casey scoffs as he accepts a cigar. “What’s there to buy? I couldn’t give her the answer she wanted so she, rightly probably, put the kibosh on it.”

“Okay, but what about what _you_ want? Doesn’t that mean anything?”

“That’s the problem. I don’t know what I want.”

“Bullshit,” Severide snorts. “You know what you want.”

He rolls his eyes as he lights his cigar. “By all means, enlighten me.”

“Here’s what I think, and I’m only gonna say it once so you better fucking listen,” Severide starts, leaning forward to meet Casey’s eyes. “You know what you want but you’re scared of it and, trust me, I get it. Starting something up with someone you genuinely care about is terrifying. It’s a whole other level than a date or two here and there. But I’ll tell you two things I know for sure; first, Brett is not Dawson and, second, you shouldn’t let fear hold you back.”

“It’s not that simple,” Matt replies as he watches Kelly take a puff off of his cigar.

“It is, actually. You’re scared if you move forward you’ll screw it up again so it’s safer to hold on to the past and pretend you’re happy the way things are. Whatever answer you couldn’t give Brett, I’ll bet you twenty bucks right now that it had to do with Gabby. You gonna take the bet?”

Matt’s prolonged silence tells Severide all he needs to know.

“That’s what I thought. Dawson’s not a reason, man. She’s an excuse. Drive away and put her in the rear view. Stop falling back into old patterns and start striving for something better. I get you don’t want to be hurt again. Dawson leaving did a number on you, I saw it up close and personal. But standing still while life passes you by isn’t gonna get you the things I _know_ you want. So, if you want to be with Brett then _be with Brett_ and put your head in your future — _not_ your past.”

His jaw tightens and his eyes water. Casey knows every word Severide said is accurate. He feels each one like a punch to the gut. “I’m afraid I might not be ready to do that. And I don’t want to hurt her. I’d never forgive myself if I hurt Sylvie more than I already have. She doesn’t deserve that.”

“I understand, Case, but as your friend I’d hate you to miss out on someone who could help you get all the things you’ve been wanting since the day we met. Brett could be that for you.” He lifts one shoulder feigning carelessness. “Stella’s been that for me. It’s not been easy. We’ve had curveball after curveball thrown at us and I’ve fucked it up more than once, today included, but I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that my life is better when it has her in it. I’m not letting that go.” 

Severide’s eyes are watering. This is the most emotional he’s seen his friend in a long time. He debates interrupting but Kelly’s on a roll and seems to be assuring himself of something as much as he’s offering advice to Casey. 

“She’s the only person I wanna fight and make up with for as long as I live. I’d do anything to see her happy. _Anything_. Sometimes that’s gonna make me stupid. Does Stella deserve that? No. Does it make me want to keep striving to do and be better? _Yes_. What she and I have is unconditional and I’ve never had that before her. I don’t think you’ve ever really had that either.” Severide blinks rapidly and pointedly keeps his face turned away from Matt while he continues. Casey suspects he’s holding back tears. “And you’re not gonna find it if you let your past predetermine your future. That’s all I’m trying to say.”

Matt nods, taking his friends impassioned words to heart. “I appreciate that.”

He actually made many good points — too many for Matt to ignore if he’s honest with himself. He already feels a lot of those sentiments Kelly mentioned in regards to Sylvie. He has for a long time now. But there’s something else in Severide’s words that leaves him concerned. His speech had an air of desperation to it and it makes him worry.

“Are you and Kidd okay?” Casey asks with a furrowed brow.

“I don’t know,” he answers honestly. “I thought I did the right thing. But...maybe I didn’t.”

God, does that sound familiar. Kinda like walking away from Brett and agreeing to give her space. It _seems_ like the right thing. He hurt her. He knows he did. But even knowing that, it doesn’t _feel_ like the right thing. What feels right is holding on to her and never letting her go, _begging her_ not to shut him out. But he can’t seem to say the right thing to her or to make the situation any better so, for now, maybe she’s right. Maybe taking some time apart is for the best.

Even if it feels fundamentally wrong — as if the entire world is out of order. Like the first few weeks of the pandemic all over again, he thinks with a dry chuckle.

“Jokes on us for thinking this year might be better than the last,” Matt says, settling back in his lawn chair and pulling his hat further down over his ears. “Not even a week into 2021 and look at us — a couple of sadsacks smoking cigars in the freezing cold.”

“Honestly, it feels pretty consistent with any other year,” Severide replies with a bitter laugh and a shake of his head. “We’ll probably still be a couple of sadsacks smoking cigars in the freezing cold forty years from now.”

“Well, at least we won’t be alone.”

“That’s not as much of a comfort as you think it is.”

“Egotistical tool,” Casey mutters with fond annoyance.

“Sanctimonious prick,” Severide fires back, smirking through the insult.

“Fix what you messed up with Kidd.”

He nods. “As soon as you fix what you messed up with Brett.”

“You better not wait on me,” Matt warns him. “Mine might take longer than yours.”

“Maybe,” Kelly replies with a shrug. “But anything worth having takes a lot of time and effort. Trust me on that one.”

Trusting him won’t be a problem. He already knows Severide’s right. Sylvie’s worth all the time and effort he can stand. Now comes the hard part…

He actually has to put in the _work_.

**Author's Note:**

>  **A/N:** The interview answers I used were regarding space between Brettsey (that was more a tweet than an interview answer) and Stellaride having some upcoming relationship troubles in case you haven't read the interviews or been following show news.


End file.
